PNL President Crin Antonescu: "Traian Băsescu Is Truly Jeopardizing Democracy"

Cristina Mihalaşcu

By the remarks he made during the investment of the new minister of Youth and Sports, President Traian Basescu proved that he does not speak the truth and, by so doing, he is severely jeopardizing democracy, National Liberal Party (PNL) President Crin Antonescu told a press conference yesterday. "The President does not speak the truth. A few days ago, he said the Ridzi case was a minor issue. Now, he has an entirely different opinion, namely that it is one of the ugliest and most toxic case in the course of his term of office," Antonescu added.

Crin Antonescu believes that President Basescu"s remark that the Ridzi case is "the tip of the iceberg" omits the rest of the iceberg, that is, the corrupted system mastered by President Basescu himself. PNL"s presidential candidate Crin Antonescu stated his indignation with President Basescu"s repeated attempts to cast the Government"s blame on the mass media and especially on two owners of mass media holdings, to whom he referred as often as he could.

"Mr. Basescu should distinguish between the press, the journalists and the owners of media holdings because the negative image he is trying to create for the entire mass media is clearly intended to discredit them at a time when subjects that the President does not like are being insistently brought up. The President is fighting against the mass media, which he prefers to reduce to two tycoons," Antonescu added.

Referring to the resignation tendered by Minister of Youth and Sports Monica Iacob Ridzi, Antonescu believes that the decision was "too late, useless and cannot be interpreted as a honorary resignation or as an act of democracy." Furthermore, Antonescu emphasized that President Basescu had said it was not a resignation, but a reshuffle, although it was simply the replacement of a minister who had resigned. "We witnessed entire weeks of negotiations, procrastination and arguments within the Democratic Party. Weeks of public statements supporting the minister, but never a firm political decision by the Prime Minister, such as a decision to reshuffle," PNL President Crin Antonescu added.

Antonescu concluded that the inquiry at the Ministry of Youth and Sports should continue until the complete clarification of the public funds mismanagement case.